Over the decades, MPR has presented the many different perspectives of Minnesota politics and politicians. This collection is home to a multitude speeches, interviews and debates on the issues of the day. Important topics of civil rights, environment, crime, budget, legislation, and campaigns are addressed.
Click on link to these well-known figures to see audio segments directly related to them: Michele Bachmann Arne Carlson Keith Ellison Hubert Humphrey Amy Klobuchar Eugene McCarthy Walter Mondale Tim Pawlenty R.T. Rybak Jesse Ventura Paul Wellstone
August 30, 1999 - Coach Ventura returned to the football field today. The governor is beginning his fifth year volunteering as the conditioning coach for the Champlin Park Rebels. Last season, Ventura managed to keep up his duties, even as he campaigned for governor. The Rebels made it to the Class 5-A championship game, where they lost to Woodbury. Tim Herman is Champlin Park's head football coach. He says he was surprised Governor Ventura could set aside the time to come back this year.
August 30, 1999 - MPR’s Laura McCallum reports on a Minnesota Citizens Forum on the farm crisis held at the State Fair. A panel of elected officials from the federal, state and local levels talked about ways to help rural Minnesota survive, ranging from a government buyout of surplus commodities to more money for technology.
August 31, 1999 - Minnesota House Speaker Steve Sviggum talks about the House GOP's recently announced priorities. Sviggum also answers listener call-in questions.
August 31, 1999 - School starts tomorrow for most Minnesota school districts. Governor Ventura spoke at a rally today for the St. Paul public schools--a district which starts next week after the state fair closes. Ventura told the crowd of teachers that his own contribution to education is the time he devotes to voluteering as a conditioning coach at Champlin Park High School.
August 31, 1999 - Minnesota senators Paul Wellstone and Rod Grams appeared together last night to discuss the state's farm crisis. The two participated in a Minnesota Citizens' Forum where they were joined by representatives of the Ventura administration.
September 1, 1999 - Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe will join us to talk about DFL priorities for the next session, and to respond to the Republican tax cut priority. Moe also answers listener call-in questions.
September 2, 1999 - On this special live Midday program from the Minnesota State Fair, a debate about the idea of a unicameral legislature. MPR’s Gary Eichten moderates a discussion with DFL State Senator Allan Spear, who supports unicameral, and former Republican Party Chair Chris Georgacas, who opposes unicameral.
September 9, 1999 - Jesse Ventura has very publicly kept lobbyists at arms length since becoming Governor, but he'll make an exception this evening. Ventura doesn't meet with lobbyists or accept their money, but he says he's not selling out by attending a fundraiser - which gets underway shortly at the Lexington in St. Paul - as a favor to his former campaign chair. The president of the watchdog group Common Cause Minnesota calls it the worst of politics-as-usual.
September 10, 1999 - Governor Ventura used his weekly radio show to criticize the media for focusing on his personal life.
September 13, 1999 - The debate over whether Governor Ventura's money-making activities violate state conflict of interest laws shows no sign of ending. One legislator plans to introduce a bill holding elected officials to the same standards as state employees, and the Minneapolis city attorney is considering an activist's complaint over Ventura's return to the wrestling ring last month. An internal memo written by a state ethics officer concluded if Ventura were a typical state employee, he would be violating the law.